Mop



F.' E. HILL Nov. 27, 1928 MOP Filegl Jan. 16, 1928 Patented Nov. 27, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRED E. HILL, OF WOBUEN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO QUALITY MANUFACTUR- ING COMPANY, INC., 0}? VVOBURN, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASEEA- CHUSETTS.

MOP.

Application filed January 16, 1928. Serial No. 247,100.

This invention relates to a mop which includes a looped wire frame, to which mop material is secured, and a shank secured to and projecting from the frame, the shank being socketed to receive the handle whereby the mop is operated.

The invention is an improvement on that disclosed by my Patent No. 1,017,1a9, dated February 13, 1912. I

In my prior mop the shank and handle are rigidly secured to the mop frame, the handle being permanently inclined relative to the frame, so that a floor space which is under an obstruction near the floor, such as a heating radiator, cannot be reached by the mop with the convenience that is desirable. y The object of the invention is to enable the shank and handle to have a limited swinging movement relative to the mopfra-me, so that the mop may be operated with the handle substantially horizontal, when an obstructed floor space is being mopped, and at the usual incline when the mop is acting on an unobstructed floor space, the shank being so engaged with the mop frame that forward and upward pressure on the inclined handle causes downward pressure against the floor, of the forward portion of the mop material engaged with the frame, and the construction being such that the handle may be applied and removed, without affecting the connection between the shank and the frame.

I attain this object by the improvement hereinafter described and claii'ned.

Of the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification,-

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a mop in which my improvement is embodied.

Figure 2 is a side view of the same.

Figure 3 is a section on line 33 of Figure 2, showing only the end portions of the frame, the handle and mop material being omitted.

Figure 4 is a section on line 4i4; of Figures 1 and 3, the handle and mop material being omitted.

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4, showing the shank inclined, as indicated by dotted lines in Figure 2.

Figure 6 is a bottom view of the lower section of the shank, showing portions of the mop frame.

Figure 7 is a bottom view of the upper sec tion of the shank.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all. of the figures.

Referring now to Figures 1. to 7, inclusive, 12 designates a loopedmop frame composed, in this instance, of a single length, of wire, having end portions 13, alined with each other, and fingers 14: at right angles with the end portions, the frame projecting in one direction, and the fingers in the opposite direction from the end portions 13.

15 designates a flexible mop body, engaged with and covering the major portion of the frame and exposing the end portions thereof.

The mop includes a sectional shank, composed of two cast metal meeting sections 16 and 17, united by a rivet 18. The shank has at one end portion a transverse bearing adapted to turn on thealined frame portions iii 13, said bearing being formed by transverse coinciding grooves 19, in the meeting faces of the sections. The shank has at its opposite end portion a handle socket 20, at right angles with the transverse bearing, and adapted to receive a handle 21.

The shank is provided between the socket and bearing with spaced apart upper and lower abutments for the fingers 14:. The upper abutments are formed by spaced apart parallel longitudinal grooves 22, in the upper section 16, and by the inclined forward ends 2a of two spaced apart longitudinal slots 23, in the lower section 17, coinciding with the grooves 22. 'Said abutments diverge from the bearing formed by the grooves 19, and co-operate with the fingers 14 in permitting a limited swinging movement of the shank relative-to the frame, so that the shank may extend horizontally in the plane of the frame, as shown by Figure 4, and by full lines in Figure 2, to permit use of the mop under an obstruction above a floor, and may be inclined relative to the frame, to permit the ordinary use of the mop on an unobstructed surface, and downward pressure of the pros jecting frame and mop material thereon, by upward and forward pressure exerted on the handle in the direction indicated by arrowX (Figures 2 and 5), such pressure causing the inclined abutments 24 to press the fingers 1% upward and the frame 12 downward, the fingers constituting the shorter arm of a lever, of which the frame 12 constitutes the longer arm, the bearing and the frame end portions 13 constitutingthe fulcrum.

The sidesof the slots 23 are slidable in contact with the fingers 14, an d sustain the frictional wear caused by swinging 1nove m-ents of the shank. The duplication and spacing apart of the fingers 14-, the upper and lower abutments, and the slots 23, materially increases the strength and durability of the connection between the frame and the shank.

It will be seen that the abutments and slots are formed wholly in one end portion of the shank, and are wholly independent of the handle socket and the handle inserted therein, so that the handle may be applied and removed without in any way. affecting the connection between the shank and the frame. Said connection is permanent, the shank sections being firmly connected by the rivet 18. It is often desirable to remove the handle, and this can be readily accomplished without affecting said connection.

The mop frame is, in this instance, approximately triangular, although it may have any other suitable form. The mop material may include threads engaged in any suitable manner with the frame.

I claim:

In a mop which comprises an operating handle and a looped mop frame, provided with mop material and including alined ends provided with spaced apart fingers at right angles therewith; a connecting shank cornposed of upper and low-er cast metal sections, riveted together and collectively forming in one end portion of the shank a handle socket, and in the opposite end portion a bearing for said alined ends, and spaced apart upper and lower abutments for said fingers; said bearing being formed by coinciding transverse grooves in the sections at right angles with the handle socket, the upper, abutments being formed by spaced apart parallel longitudinal grooves in the upper section, and by the inclined forwardv ends of two spaced apart parallel longitudinal slots in the lower section coinciding with said grooves, said abutments diverging from the bearing and cooperating with the fingers in permitting a limited swinging movement of the shank relative to the frame, so that the shankinay extend horizontally in the plane of the frame, to permit use of the mop under an obstruction above a floor, and may be inclined: relative to the frame, to permit downward pressure of the frame and mop material thereon, by upward and forward pressure exerted on the V handle, the sides of said slots being slidable in contact with the said fingers, and sustaining the frictional wear caused by swinging movements of the shank on the fingers,the abutments and slots being independent of the handle and socket, so that the handle may be applied and removed without affecting the connection between the shank and the frame. I r I In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature. I

FRED E. HILL. 

